Paper parachute



Jan 33;. 15 J, STRONG 2,495,873

PAPER P ARACHUTE Filed Dec. 7, 1948 INVENTOR.

. JAMES I"! STRONG ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 31 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,495.87? PAPER PARACHUTE James H. Strong, Yarclley, Pa.

Application December 7, 1948, Serial No. 63,973

.6 Claims.

smooth calendered paper has insufficient resiliency to withstand the launching shock and crepe paper adsorbs moisture which freezes and interieres with the proper performance of the parachute in the air besides being expensive and in short supply.

I have found that the tendency of smooth calendered paper parachutes to tear at the seams, which have heretofore been strengthened by sewing or glueing strips of paper or tape along them from the free edge of the skirt to the peak of the canopy, can be largely overcome by omitting the tape along the seams and providing a strengthening tape or binding completely encircling the edge of the skirt over which the shrouds pass freely, and securely attaching the shrouds to the peak of the canopy only. The upper ends of the shrouds are gathered together and attached to the balloon by any suitable means, and the lower ends of the shrouds, after being knotted around a spreader ring, are brought together and secured to the strap or other support. for the instrument case, as heretofore.

For a more complete description of the invention and its aims and objects, reference is made to the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment thereof, and to the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a schematic view in elevation of the entire balloon, parachute and instrument assembly as it appears during ascent, Fig. 2 is a side view of the canopy fully inflated as it appears during descent; Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of a spreader ring showing the manner of knotting the shrouds around it, and Fig. 4 is a detail of a portion of a seam showing the manner of loosely attaching the shrouds to the seams to hold them in place circumferentially.

Referring to Fig. 1, a balloon It, usually made of rubber to permit expansion in the upper atmosphere until the desired height is reached at which it bursts from the pressure of the gas confined therein, supports the instrument case II by means of the shrouds l2 which are attached at their upper ends by any suitable means l3 to a loop or ring is or other convenient part of the balloon and at their lower ends by means of a line or strap E5 to a handle it on the instrument case, suitable spreader ring I! around which the shrouds pass serving to hold the canopy l8 slightly open during its upward travel.

The spreader ring IT is preferably made of willow or other light and strong reed which may be bent to a circle of the desired diameter. In the preferred embodiment, two turns of light reed are held together by knotting the shrouds I2 around them at spaced intervals, as shown in Fig. 3.

Th canopy is preferably made of a light,

strong, smooth calendered paper coated or impregnated with wax or other suitable waterproofing material to shed rain and prevent adherence of moisture encountered in the air. As shown, it

' is built up of eight generally triangular gores l8 which are sewed together at their side seams and 'strengthene'dat their free ends by applying a binding strip IQ of paper or fabric, preferably secured along the entire skirt of the canopy by stitching or adhesive. The shrouds l2 are knotted tightly around the ends of the gores where they converge at the peak for distributing the weight of the canopy upon the several shrouds during the ascent and holding the latter from slipping at any time, the shrouds being secured fast to this portion of the canopy and loosely held in place on the outside of the canopy at all other points by the stitches 2| that secure the gores together, a double lock stitch being preferred for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 4.

The shrouds are made of light strong cord or other materal having considerable stretch to relieve shocks due to sudden irregular movements or strains on the balloon, canopy and instrument case, and they extend in the form of a tassel 20 from the upper ends of the gores to where they are tied to a fitting suspended from the balloon. The lower ends of the shrouds converge above the instrument case, where they are tied to another fitting, being free at all points in between their ends except at the peak of the chute and at the spreader ring. This construction permits them to slip lengthwise of the seams at the skirt edge of the canopy after the balloon is released at the instant the instrument case is picked up and at other times when sudden pulls come on them to freezing of moisture in the folds of the partly collapsed canopy during ascent and ensures quick opening of the canopy upon the bursting of the balloon.

The parachute may be constructed in various ways to accomplish this such as by means of a pocket of paper or fabric loosely encasing the shroud lines and secured over the seams by sewing or adhesive. Preferably, however, I utilize the stitching of the seam as a pocket for the shroud lines thereby saving weight and material and eliminating one operation in the manufacture of the parachute.

The invention is simple in its construction and comparatively cheap to manufacture; it utilizes inexpensive materials in plentiful supply, and it is found to function satisfactorily under all conditions of the atmosphere encountered in sounding the stratosphere for weather forecasting and scientific purposes.

What I claim and desire to secure as my invention is as follows:

1. A light parachute assembly for operating at high altitudes comprising a canopy of smooth waterproof paper-like material, provided with a .and means below the canopy attached to and holding said shroud lines in circumferentially spaced relation with respect to each other and said canopy while providing for independent extension thereof, said canopy being held partly open during ascent whereby freezing and tearing of said canopy in service is prevented.

2. A canopy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shrouds are secured along the seams of the canopy by loose stitches.

3. A canopy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the skirt is strengthened by a strip of material of no more resilience than the canopy.

4. A parachute comprising a canopy made of smooth waterproof paper gores extending from skirt to peak and strengthened at the skirt by a stitched hem, shrouds made of stretchable material extending above the peak and below the skirt of the canopy and connected to the canopy gores where they converge at the peak and free to move endwise thereof at all other points, said shrouds overlying the canopy from peak to skirt and spaced along the seams connecting the canopy gores and loosely secured thereto by open stitches.

5. A parachute as set forth in claim 4 wherein the stitches connecting the gores at the seams serve also to secure the shrouds circumferentially of the canopy.

6. A high altitude sounding parachute comprising a smooth waterproof paper canopy and shroud lines extending above the peak and below the skirt of the canopy so constructed that the canopy is connected to the shroud lines only at the peak, thereby supporting said canopy while permitting free movement of the canopy on the shroud lines from the skirt to the peak, and means for securing the lower ends of the shroud lines below the canopy in spaced circumferential relation for maintaining said canopy in partly open position during ascent.

JAMES H. STRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,398,303 Mitchell Nov. 29, 1921 1,485,400 Lucas Mar. 4, 1924 1,849,965 Switlik Mar. 15, 1932 2,119,183 Sedlmayr May 31, 1938 2,337,192 Hastings Dec. 21, 1943 

